Eclipse/Chapter 7
Chapter description :Lionpaw tugs a sprig of moss from his fur, and thinks that hauling moss had left his pelt itching. He gets frustrated, and silently thinks how it was a boring day. As he sits inside, he listens to Foxpaw and Icepaw discuss their training. Foxpaw asks Lionpaw if he would like to see him perform a roll, and Lionpaw nods aimlessly. However, Foxpaw's roll ends up with him staggering on his nest and collapsing to the floor. Frustrated, Foxpaw exclaims that he was better that afternoon. Lionpaw tries to comfort him, but inside, he is jealous at the young apprentice's excitement, as he felt that Clan life was full of dull chores ever since he returned from the mountains. He acknowledges that it is good to feed his Clan and make sure it flourishes, but he is itching to know when he will be able to use the power that pulses through his paws. :Lionpaw hears Foxpaw exclaiming that he is doing the roll properly, and Icepaw encourages her brother to show the golden tabby his new hunting crouch. Lionpaw feels Foxpaw pounce on him, and he shakes the young cat off. Foxpaw tells him he is no fun anymore, after the golden tom growls to let him sleep. At the same moment, Hollypaw enters the den. Icepaw tells Hollypaw that Lionpaw had been bossing Foxpaw around, and the black she-cat assures her that he is just tired and would want to play in the morning. Hollypaw then lays down next to Lionpaw, grooming his pelt. She tells him to cheer up, as Brackenfur had told her that the both of them would be going on patrol in the morning. She explains that Firestar had been sending extra patrols to the WindClan border to check for invaders, and Lionpaw feels a dark satisfaction that he will finally get the chance to challenge the cats that had been stealing prey. He closes his eyes, relieved that he will be able to be useful to his Clan in the only way that makes sense. :In his dream, Lionpaw sees Tigerstar, who tells him that he will teach him how to knock off any cat, no matter their size. Lionpaw asks him what he has to do, and Tigerstar, who beckons Hawkfrost near him, explains that since the golden apprentice does not have the weight to overpower every cat, he must use his size to his advantage. He explains that he must be fast, and that he would have to dart under his enemy's stomach, slash the back of their forepaws. The enemy would then twist, expecting Lionpaw on the other side - but he would be at the order, to catch the enemy off balance. :The tabby apprentice asks his dark mentor how he would get to the other side before he is slashed, and Tigerstar tells him to be fast. He orders Lionpaw to try the new move on Hawkfrost, and he performs the move, just as Tigerstar had described. Tigerstar praises him, and Lionpaw exaggerates the praise, saying it was not bad. Hawkfrost pounces onto Lionpaw, slamming him into the ground, as Tigerstar tells him to never assume he won until his enemy is dead. Hawkfrost sneers into Lionpaw's ear, asking him if he found any more information about the prophecy he had mentioned. :Lying, Lionpaw tells him he does not think about it anymore, while Hawkfrost sarcastically asks him if StarClan had not made him the leader of the forest. The brown tabby claws Lionpaw, making him angry. The golden cat leaps away, wondering why his two mentors did not take the prophecy seriously, as it could be his greatest weapon. Lionpaw then second guesses himself, taking into consideration the possibility that the two could be right, and the prophecy was nothing more than Firestar's dream. :Hollypaw wakes Lionpaw from his dream, and tells him that the patrol will be leaving soon. She notices the injury that Lionpaw had received from Hawkfrost, leaving him shocked, not knowing the line between dream and reality. Hollypaw assumes that there must be a thorn in his nest, and sifts through the moss to find it. Lionpaw tells her that they should look for it later, as the patrol will leave soon. The two depart from the apprentices' den, and they see Ashfur and Brackenfur. :Ashfur is about to leave, but Firestar stops him. He tells Ashfur that they are only looking for signs of prey-stealing, not trespassers. He orders them to report any intruders, not fight them. He adds that the issue they are facing is much more than a simple border skirmish, and that if there is a battle, it must be decisive. The cats on the patrol nod, understanding their leader's orders. Ashfur darts out the tunnel leading to the forest, and the rest of the cats follow him. :Lionpaw thinks about his powers as he goes. He believes that he could reach the border in one leap if he wanted to, that he could beat an entire WindClan patrol if he met them. Ashfur swerves, but Lionpaw knows a better way, and starts to take that path instead. Ashfur reprimands him, and Lionpaw lets him lead after, but knows that soon, he will be at the head of every patrol. When Ashfur and Lionpaw are alone, Ashfur asks him what he was doing, as they could have ran into an ambush. His apprentice says that he was just taking a shortcut, and Ashfur orders him to next time, stay back. Brackenfur emerges, asking if there is a problem. Ashfur replies that it is nothing he cannot handle. Hollypaw looks at Lionpaw, and he shrugs, letting her know that he did not give their secret away. :Ashfur suggests that they split up and search for WindClan scent. Lionpaw goes near a bush, and drags out the remains of a blackbird. Ashfur and Brackenfur head over as he announces his discovery. They all realize that the catch was fairly new, and Brackenfur notes that they may have just missed the killer of the animal. Hollypaw exclaims that whoever caught it was breaking the warrior code, as they should be taking their prey back to the queens and elders of their Clan, not eating it as soon as they catch it. :Lionpaw scoffs that he doubts prey stealers would follow the warrior code. Brackenfur remarks that they must be desperate. Ashfur orders Brackenfur to take the blackbird to camp to show Firestar, while he, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw search upstream. At first, Brackenfur is doubtful, wondering if there is any point, as WindClan cats would have a hard time fighting their way through bushes. Lionpaw states that they managed to get under a holly bush, and Ashfur agrees that it is worth checking. Brackenfur goes back to camp after telling them not to take too long. :Lionpaw realizes that Hollypaw has found a bush of brambles, and makes an excuse to investigate further into it. He realizes that it is another entrance into the tunnels, and he knows that it leads into the dark river that he and Heatherpaw used to play in. He wonders why Hollypaw did not tell him of her discovery, but then he realizes that he knew why - Hollypaw was afraid that he would start seeing Heatherpaw again. He thinks that he is a loyal ThunderClan warrior, and is frustrated that Hollypaw would not trust him. Characters Major }} Minor *Icepaw *Hollypaw *Tigerstar *Hawkfrost *Brackenfur *Ashfur }} Mentioned }} Mistakes *Tigerstar is mistakenly called Firestar. Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Eclipse Category:Power of Three arc